Monday, 11 September 2006

I'm honouring ...

David Barkway, 34, Toronto, ONManaging Director, BMO Nesbitt BurnsDied: World Trade Center
David was a rising star in the Toronto financial world but was not all business. He was known on Bay Street in Toronto for his determination to improve his golf game, his cigars and his practical jokes. Colleagues would return from lunch to find a flashing message on their computer screen that was impossible to delete.

When he wasn't working, David — or Barky, as his friends called him — was on the golf course. So, it's fitting that a patio off the trading floor at BMO Nesbitt Burns,was turned into a putting green named Barky's Way.

He became engaged in 1996 on a ski slope, presenting a diamond ring to Cindy McLennan after they had both taken a spill in the snow. Mrs. Barkway, who was pregnant with the couple's second child (who she named David), accompanied her husband on his final business trip to New York and was on her way to SoHo when the World Trade Center was attacked.

David was was visiting a client atop the World Trade Center's north tower when the first plane hit. He was on the 105th floor when the tragedy took place and sent an electronic message to his office in Toronto for help.

Bernard Mascarenhas, 54, Newmarket, ONChief Information Officer, Marsh CanadaDied: World Trade CenterBernard was a zealous bridge player, an executive who had risen steadily up the corporate ladder, and a man who liked to take it easy on weekends with his wife and two kids.

Deeply committed to education, Bernard used to make anonymous donations to a number of different charities, in particular to scholarship funds. Among his causes, he would send scholarship donations to his native Pakistan, to assist Roman Catholics, a religious minority in that country. He also believed in giving back to the community. On major holidays, Bernard would drive the family Jeep to the grocery store to pick up donations for the Daily Bread Food Bank, his kids often in tow. He never failed to help people who fell upon hard times.

Bernard was in New York for a meeting on September 11. His work on computer systems at the company was known as particularly innovative and wound up being used not only in Canada but in Marsh offices around the world. "He made sure everything he worked on was a first-class product," said Thomas J. Grimes, managing director at Marsh Canada.

Bernard was survived by his wife, Raynette, and a son and daughter, Jaclyn and Sven.

Vladimir Tomasevic, 36, Etobicoke, ONVice President of Software Development, Optus e-Business SolutionsDied: World Trade CenterVladimir had been working so hard, he hadn't had time to play tennis. And tennis "was his love," says Steven Webster, Tomasevic's boss. A born athlete, he had competed in singles tennis on Yugoslavia's national league as a teen, eventually coaching tennis while he worked on an electrical engineering degree at the University of Belgrade.

While tennis might have been his sporting love, he gave his heart to his wife, Tanja. The couple met while holidaying in Montenegro, fell in love and moved to Canada to start a new life.

Vladimir would find a way to offer a compliment even when a compliment might seem a bit of a stretch. For instance, he always enjoyed Tanja's cooking and for good reason. She cooked well. But like anyone, she had her bad moments. "One time I oversalted some potatoes that I was baking," she said. "He ate them all, even though I couldn't. He even complimented me on the potatoes. My father was there at the time, and he said, 'You are so lucky.' Another time, it was a new recipe and I put in too much hot pepper. It was really hot. He said, 'It's a bit hot but it's good.' He was my best friend and a part of him will always be with me."

This was Vladimir's first trip to New York. He was attending a Risk Waters Group conference on information technology at Windows on the World.

Teena, You put some work into your tributes and it shows. Very touching, and your posts remind us that is was not only Americans that were slaughtered, many more nations had people happily went to work that fateful morning. I am sure that there was no rancor or such on the floors above the flying bomb. In their dying minutes, no one ask....where are you from....I'll guarentee you no muslim that perished refused to help someone in a futile effort just because they were Jewish. No black man or women was thinking about how mean white people are, they were trying to help each other. A lot of cooperation without prejudice happened that day.

We 'mericans here in Kansas may have a joke or two told about us from our northern neighbors,we still do the neighborly thing and love you. You are good neighbors. (Excluding Quebec) As a neighbor, we join in the grief of a nation who had people working at the WTC on that terrible day. Do you realize the scope of how bad it really could be? 99% of the people working below the airplane bombs, escaped. The building was never full of humans until about 10am, so although it took the life of the 3 that you tribute, it could have been much worse. Kinda like "not all terrorists are smart, but I can't wait until they are all dead"

As a redneck truckdriver from the heart of the USofA, HUGS....we all need them, we have enemies that hate us both, so why? should we be argueing? There is no reason, let's get together and make the world safe for our children and grandchildren.

Teena,Thank you for sharing the lives of David, Bernard and Vladimir. They each led such different lives, but they are connected eternally by this tragedy. My thoughts and prayers are with each of their families and friends. How the earth must have sighed with their loss.Blessings,Auntie Lyn

Beautiful tributes in honor of these 3 men. I hope their families see them. This week will be bittersweet as I read everyone's tributes getting to know a little about each innocent victim. Thanks for sharing yours. You're welcome to see my tribute to Charles Peter Lucania at http://gwenevere-69.livejournal.com/

Well I just learned something I did not know!I didn't know a guy from Newmarket(where I live) died in 9/11.

On 9/11 I was a trucker. I worked for a Canadian company on US contract.I got over the Canadian border on the day all went to hell, and back over the border into the US, only to be kept in the US for weeks while trailers of goods were brought to me.

Thank you for reminding us it was just not Americans that were killed that day but people from many countries perished in those attacks which is why 9-11 should be remembered not just by Americans but by all.

What wonderful tributes you have written for all three. Thank you for sharing memories of them.I can't even imagine how much their families and friends miss them...I know it would take me a life-time to get over a personal loss like this.Mine is up as well.

Teena, I too am from Ontario and what beautiful tributes you have written. Let us not forget those who died and the families left to live life without them. We shall remember the day the world cried. We shall remember a day that the whole world mourned together. We shall remember September 11th as more than just a number thanks to the 9/11 tribute started by D.Challener Roe.

A wonderful entry honouring these people. You have done a great job. We are all united in this cause even though some of us live in the UK. I am proud to be a part of this and have done my own 2996 posting. America will be very much in our thoughts tomorrow. God rest all their souls

Beautiful tribute to your fellow Canadians. How heartwrenching to see so many lost faces, read of so many lost lives, at one. You brought them to life for me, and left me just a little sadder on this sad day. My heart goes out to their families.

Thanks for sharing this with us Teena! It's a wonderful tribute to 3 Canadians who were lost in such travesty. Let's all take a moment to remember them and their loved ones left behind today and every day.

Teena, Thank you for all your work that alone is a grand tribute to David, Bernard and Vladimir. As an American I always try to remember that it was the World Trade Center and the World lost many wonderful people on that day, not just Americans. Thank you and all those who honor the 2996.

What a beautiful tribute to such young lives. It has been such a blessing to be part of the 2996 Tribute.....from researching, to writing, to reading the many tributes....we will not be able to ever forget these wonderful people.

I have honored Sgt. Michael Curtin, a NYPD officer who willingly entered the Twin Towers on a rescue mission and was carried out of the Ground Zero rubble several months later. So many lives lost....so many heroes.

A wonderful tribute. Thank you for taking the time to do this tribute on a 9/11 Hero.

The 2,996 Tribute projects is such a great idea to remember those who lost their lives, that they won’t be forgotten. That was a horrible day and tragic event. I did a tribute to Chief Battalion William J. McGovern, firefighter.

I have an alternate link as the 2,996 original link is down at the moment.

Hi, Teena! Your tributes were wonderful, very touching! I had such a hard time with this project. I feel like I have gotten to know so many of the victims through these tributes, including my own, Teresa Martin.

Just wonderful. After reading this, I had a thought....we lost SO MANY great minds...people who were at the tops of their fields...on this day. Of course there were other people too, but it's just astonishing to me how many CEOs, and senior executives were lost.

I wrote about Harry Ramos, a man who was killed while comforting a complete stranger. Everyone in Harry's office made it out that day. Harry could have too, but he chose to stay behind and try to help someone he didn't know.